Adunatio
by TheAnonymousNobody
Summary: "I'm not surprised that you pay for sex, I'm just surprised that you'd pay so much for it."
1. Chapter 1

Raven stared at her phone in disbelief. It couldn't be…

No! Its not possible!

Someone had taken her up on her offer.

What offer is this you might ask? Well, it wasn't one that Raven was particularly proud of. Being the child of a disgusting rape made intimacy hard enough as it was. So the idea of auctioning off her virginity to pay for medical school was one that she sought as an absolute last resort. She'd already gotten a decent scholarship, but having nothing and nobody in the world to turn to after the Titans broke up made her situation desperate. Raven shook the last moments of seeing her friends out of her mind. She'd replayed the memory so many times in the past few years that now the emotions that used to physically and mentally cripple her, were now nothing more than a dull twinge.

A small grimace crept onto her mouth at that. There was likely going to be a lot more heartache headed her way soon. She thought that she could just get through it, take her money and go. Rationally, Raven knew that it wouldn't be that easy, but at the very least it was something that would guarantee her the money she needed to finish school. She looked forward to getting her medical degree and getting to work doing what she loved most in the world, saving people. It was the only thing that gave a Raven a sense that life was still worth living anymore. After the Titans had broken up she was upset and angry. The breakup was foolish really, but they were stubborn people so she knew they couldn't be reasoned with. The hope that maybe that they'd reunite had faded long ago; the final nail in the coffin came when she was accepted to medical school. Now no matter what she could make a difference in peoples' lives so she was content for the first time in a long time.

Now, all that was gone.

She needed money and badly. She didn't want to attract attention or do any type of publicity things that Cyborg and Beast Boy had done with mild success. Raven wanted peace and wanted to get her life together. To pay for her final semester, she decided to auction herself off. Granted, she made sure to do her research and advertised only on a website with some reputation. She reserved the right to say "no" to anything she was uncomfortable with. It wouldn't be a big deal. Virginity was just a social construct anyhow — nothing more than a tool to shame people.

And someone had just offered to pay her $50,000 for it!

Raven blinked a few times and stared at the phone again. Moonknight37…what an odd name. She glanced quickly around the coffee shop she was studying at hoping that nobody could see the emotions written all over her face. Was this really happening?

No it couldn't be!

It wasn't possible!

But it must've been because there is was in plain black and white in front of her. Moonknight37 messaged her again asking when they could meet. Raven had several exams this week, but fortunately, they'd all be though by Thursday.

_Friday?_

_Sounds good, my apartment is in Wayne Towers._

Wayne towers? So that's where she'd be losing her virginity. At least it was somewhere nice, not some cheap motel or shady dump. That made her at least feel marginally better. Raven quickly put her phone aside as her computer pinged with mail. There was a lot of work to be done between now and Friday, so pushing her thoughts aside, she adjusted her sweatshirt and set to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Who else is hiding from ppl during a Super Bowl party lol?**

Today was the day. She and Moonknight37 managed to confirm their appointment earlier that day. A weird zing went through her at the thought. Raven couldn't pay attention through all her lectures. Her hand wrote notes of its own accord as her professors ran through their powerpoint slides, but her mind was somewhere else entirely; she was too focused on tonight. Even though she had one of her longest days of classes, it seemed that the day had passed in the blink of an eye. She tried to focus on her work, but after several hours, just accepted that it wasn't going to happen. Resolving to watch the lectures again some other time, Raven tried to just breathe deep and get through her day.

Walking home after class just made her more anxious; she took a detour through the park in an attempt to calm her mind. A few kids were running around enjoying the first sunny day in winter. One of them was wearing a t-shirt with Batman's logo on it. It was almost impossible to go anywhere without seeing something like that. She felt cold suddenly. Raven would never admit it to herself, but she missed being a superhero, she really did. It was one of the things that made her feel okay about her demonic side. With the money she'd get though, she could be a hero…of sorts. Perhaps not in the way she once was, but it would be enough. Raven never really paid much attention to fans, news coverage or anything of that sort. She was in it for her own reasons, everything else was simply extraneous.

Yes, once she graduated medical school with the money she'd get tonight then she could be a hero again. Perhaps not as glamorous as it had been before, but it wouldn't be nearly as dangerous as had been when she was with the-

"Hey! Over here!" The child wearing the Batman shirt yelled. Raven quickly looked around and spotted a baseball by her foot. She picked it up and gently tossed it to the kid. "Thanks lady!" A small smile crossed her face at watching them run off. She sighed and picked up her pace towards home.

In an attempt to pamper herself a little before the big event, she decided to splurge. If she was going to lose her virginity, she might as well be clean and comfortable. It would make her feel better…or so she hoped. Raven made an appointment with a local spa for a blowout and mani/pedi. A new dress was sitting in her closet years old and never worn. A co-worker had given it to her as a gift when she'd worked at a coffee shop. Raven also stopped by the local drugstore and bought some makeup. Nothing too elaborate, just something to enhance her cheeks and eyes. Raven was thankful she inherited her mother's graceful features, long bristly coal black eyelashes that didn't require an ounce of mascara, smooth porcelain skin and finely sculpted cheekbones.

At the spa, the calming music did help her relax a little but not as much as she would've hoped. Raven began doing deep breathing as she let the jets of the foot bath massage her aching feet. A first time experience was just a first time experience, it wasn't actually losing anything; it was gaining. She was gaining an experience. Whether it would be good or bad, remained to be seen. Raven didn't want to think of losing…she'd lost enough already. She'd lost Azarath, her home along with all her family and friends. Then she joined the Titans and she'd lost her home, family and friends again. Raven was tired of losing, but again, it wasn't loss it was a gain she reasoned. A gain. Purity or innocence didn't bother her any. As the daughter of a demon she was never any of those things anyway.

So why did she feel like she swallowed a ball of sticky tar?

Raven had never really considered her own needs when it came to sex. As far as she was concerned, they were not needs they were wants. And rarely if ever do people get what they want. Had she considered anything like this emotionally before, then her powers would've wreaked havoc. By the time she finally gained a good enough of a stranglehold on them, Raven found it wasn't something she thought about anymore. She came out of the salon feeling marginally better as she walked the two blocks back to her apartment.

She glanced at the clock as she headed into the bathroom to apply the makeup. Raven tried not to glance at her phone every other second, but it seemed as though times was whizzing by at breakneck speed. Especially since Moonknight37 would occasionally message her with instructions. He's odd, Raven decided as she zipped up the dress. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Raven paused before she turned the lights in her apartment out. Her reflection in the mirror reminded her of her mother. Looking closer, she knew that she shouldn't have anything to worry about…her body was slim, but with enough of a curve to show she was a woman. The long purple dress had a high slit and showed one of her legs. Her legs extended long and lithe, made even more striking by her nude colored heels. The spaghetti straps of the dress and somewhat low neckline was not scandalous, but left enough to the imagination. She'd forgone the idea of wearing jewelry. What was the point? It was either going to be forgotten in the morning or removed and possibly stolen.

The morning…what would that be like? Her heart sunk. Raven knew from her classes that because men frequently had orgasms, their hormone levels would change and they'd often fall asleep. She demanded payment upfront and both she and Moonknight37 had agreed upon that. Would she wait around until morning? Would she stay over? If she did where would she sleep? In bed with him? What was he like? Would he have major B.O.? She shook her head…Raven had promised herself that she wouldn't go down that rabbit hole again. She'd made up her mind that there was likely not going to be anything particularly good about tonight. If things got out of hand, then she could use her magic. Raven even promised herself that she'd protect herself if things got bad by using her magic to manipulate the person. They could give her the money then. True, the ethics of this were dubious, but then again so was what she was doing.

Raven brushed through her hair once more. Her sleek hair was glossy as a bird's wing and shone a vibrant black. Her skin was smooth, nails pristine and even she had to admit she looked good. Medical school had made her weight fluctuate to a large degree, at one point, Raven felt she began to look unhealthy with the weight she lost, eating sparingly to save money and just not having the time between classes and studying. She was pleased to see however that she still had some curve to her body.

Moonknight37 messaged her again to say that his chauffeur would be arriving for her in a few minutes. Raven had purposefully kept her address hidden and asked for his chauffeur to pick her up at the local pharmacy two blocks away. The sun was beginning to set as she made her way over to the rendezvous point.

She was busily enjoying the cool night air hitting her skin when a black car pulled up and an older man in a blue and gold uniform stepped out. "Miss Roth?" He asked at seeing her. She nodded. "Your date is waiting." Raven took a moment to read his aura before stepping into the vehicle. Nothing threatening or out of the ordinary. Still on edge, Raven climbed into the car, it was warm and toasty inside. She sunk into the plush leather seats.

Raven tried to stop the shaking in her hands as she attempted to apply some peachy coral colored lipstick. Really she had no reason to be so nervous. Her powers would deal with anything that got out of hand as the control and power she'd gained over the years made her nigh on unstoppable. The spell that she'd cast over herself to not feel any pain was working as it should. Her stomach should've been stirring and the seatbelt was cutting into her shoulder, but she didn't feel a bit of it.

However, it wasn't as easy as she'd thought it would be.

Even though people made such a big deal out of "the first time" it was not something Raven put much stock into. Virginity didn't define anything and as she'd learned in medical school there was no physiological or anatomical basis that someone was or was not a virgin anyhow. Slut shaming was something that society had no problem doing so it wasn't that big of a shock to her that it amounted to nothing at all. Raven, however was struggling with the idea. It shouldn't be a big deal, really it shouldn't with no physiological or medical backing to the idea of virginity, it really shouldn't be such a big deal.

So why was she shaking so much?

_If_ she developed feelings, and it was a big _if_. If she developed feelings then it would be easy enough to drown them in her bookwork. Raven had to pass the second part of her boards so there was plenty to be done. If she needed to take some time off to figure things out, then that could be done as well. She glanced at her phone; the man had messaged her again.

_The driver will give you an access key. Take the elevator to the top floor._

At some level, Raven was wondering if she'd get off the hook somehow. She'd read plenty of stories and treated enough sex workers to know that sometimes, people just paid for conversation and nothing more. That idea had crossed her mind a few times, but she quickly dismissed it. People didn't pay $50,000 just to talk to someone. She was certainly an interesting conversation partner, but there would likely be very little of that tonight. A sigh escaped her. It would likely be some desperate rich prick who just wanted a quick fuck…that's all.

"Miss are you alright?" The man asked in an airy voice that held a touch of British accent.

"Yes fine." She let out, hoping she sounded convincing, but not sure how well she did with , her phone went off again.

_Can't wait to see you._

How generic…Raven thought as she clicked her phone off. At least Moonknight37 hadn't added the creepy wink face afterwards, but his somewhat brusque attitude was unsettling too. Anything was possible. She had her powers to protect her, but there was a nagging fear that refused to leave her.

That fear began to swell up into her chest as she got out of the door that the chauffeur had opened for her. Raven hastily crossed the lobby, glad it was empty. She didn't want anybody seeing her. Though it was unlikely that she would know anybody in this part of town, it was still something that Raven didn't want to happen so it wouldn't complicate things even further for her. Hands shaking, Raven slowly slid the key in and felt each little click of the tumblers. It seemed an eternity before the elevator doors opened beckoning her inside. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirrors that lined the car. I wonder if I'll ever be able to see myself the same way afterwards…Raven thought. Her stomach was left on the ground floor as the elevator rose higher and higher. The empath suffered no particular fear of enclosed spaces, but she found her heart racing in the confines of the elevator.

Just get your money and forget it…just get your money and forget it…just get your money and forget it…

DING!

Raven took in a deep breath as she stepped off the elevator. Her mouth fell open at the sight in front of her.

No it couldn't be!

It wasn't possible!


	3. Chapter 3

But it must've been because the man in front of her, the man she knew so well, the man she had once called her best friend in the entire world spoke.

"What? Surprised that the ladies man himself Dick Grayson pays for sex? You can't believe everything you read Raven. I'm not what the papers portray me to be."

"I'm not surprised that you pay for sex Dick, I'm just surprised that you'd pay so much for it." Raven spoke in a monotone to disguise her inner turmoil. A great deal of effort was required to keep the lines on her face smooth.

Several moments went by; time froze.

"I think there's been some sort of mistake here- " Raven stated.

"No mistake." He chimed in. "Moonknight37 at your service." He extended a hand to her.

Raven let out an indignant huff. "What's this about? Did you know who I was?" She demanded.

Dick shook his head. "Not a clue, you just sounded enchanting." He replied lowering his hand.

"Ha! Enchanting? How many girls has a five dollar word like that worked on?"

"I told you before Raven," he spoke walking closer to her. "I'm not what the media makes me out to be."

She nodded sarcastically and glanced around. "So what now?" Raven spat out. All the emotions of sorrow from missing him quickly faded away as animosity came roaring back. Had he just- if he could've- if he'd just would've- ugh! It was all still so infuriating. Her jaw clamped tightly.

"Okay, I can see you're still mad at me."

"No shit Grayson." Raven was about to explode angrily when she caught sight of his eyes. She could always read his eyes so well; he was hurting just as much as her. She even began to feel guilty for severing their bond all those years ago. As quick as the pain was there though, it vanished. Both eyed each other, silently agreeing to change the topic at hand.

He walked over to where a tall silver chiller sat with a bottle in it. "Champagne?" Dick asked handing her a glass. She took it gratefully and sipped. _Expensive. _Raven began to wander around the room looking out at the lights of the city as he poured himself a glass. Neither one wanted to say anything. _There's so much that should- no needs to be said. _The words died on her lips however as he spoke again. "I've really missed you Raven."

"I missed you too." The slightest hint of a smile came onto her face as the words came tumbling out.

They fell into silence again, both having so much to say, but neither one wanting to say it.Raven was first to break the silence. "So now what? We have the most awkward fuck of all time?"

"I'm not going to fuck you Raven." Dick said coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. She tensed; her stomach sinking. _"I'm going to make love to you." _He drawled in a deep baritone voice. Raven felt her body turn to jelly at the phrase. Heat pooled near her abdomen. "But not until you're ready, I don't want to take advantage of you." He whispered. "I want to treat you right." With that, his hands left her waist and he took her hand in his own. Dick pulled her over to the posh looking white couch. Raven stopped and hesitated a moment; her violet eyes flicked towards the door. Dick must've noticed because he spoke. "Look you can go if you want to, but at least sit with me awhile." Raven stood for several moments before walking closer to him and sitting down. He smiled as she did so. Even though the couch was leather, it was impossibly soft and Raven gratefully let her body sink into it. Since he made it clear he wasn't going to have sex with her Raven felt her heart slow and her body unknit itself. _But then what was that whole thing about making love to me? He's probably just trying to break the tension. _Her heart sped up at the thought. Though her pain level was diminished, she was acutely aware that she had been very tense. "So…" he trailed off awkwardly. "What have you been up to lately?"

"Um-" Raven let out before she was interrupted again.

"I'm sorry, are you hungry? Would you like something else to drink?"

"No, that's okay."

"So what have you been up to lately?"

The smile on his face was obviously trying to hide some pain. He was pleased to see her, clearly, but at the mention of the past the smile left his eyes. So he was as upset as she was at the Titans breaking up…Raven decided to be honest. "I've really struggled the past few years." She admitted, purposefully not mentioning the breakup, neither of them were ready to deal with that yet. "Never really wanted to make a spectacle of myself so I just took a series of odd jobs before finally deciding to apply to medical school. I'm going to graduate soon."

Dick kissed her hand, which she noticed he held. How had she missed that? "The lovely hands of a surgeon." His lips were oddly soft. Raven thought of her own that were chapped, dry and beginning to crack. One more thing to feel insecure about. She'd tried a bunch of balms in an attempt to get them more kissable for tonight, but nothing had seemed to work to her satisfaction. But wait! How'd he know she was training to be a surgeon?

"How did you know?"

He shrugged. "You were always so detail oriented and precise. I couldn't really envision you doing anything else."

"You're right." Raven replied taking another sip of her drink. They were sitting close. _Closer than just friends_. "And yourself?"

A frown crossed his face for a moment. Had Raven not known him as well as she did, it would've gone completely unnoticed, but as it stood, empath that she was, it was something that she couldn't help but pick up along with the momentary shift in his emotions. It was an overwhelming sadness that was quickly put back into his mind under lock and key. Perhaps she wasn't as alone in her feelings as she thought. "I've been working for Bruce's company. He put me in charge of the board of directors."

"Sounds awful."

"You have no idea." He said with a smile at her, pleased to share his thoughts with someone. From what she knew of Bruce, he wasn't exactly the type that was easy to talk to. And she knew Dick was never the type to be content sitting at a desk wearing a monkey suit all day. The two shared a laugh at the knowing look Raven sent him.

As the laugher died down however, the air seemed thick. "Raven," he began slowly. "What made you- " he stopped then sighed. "Why are you doing this? What made you do this?" His voice began to crack.

Raven absentmindedly twirled her glass making her nails hit it slightly with a soft clinking sound, ignoring his toned down tirade. "Dick, I needed money and I was desperate." She wanted to remind him that not everybody had Bruce Wayne as a benefactor, but she kept her mouth shut. It was pleasant to be with him after so long. Although Raven had indulged the thought of all the nasty things that she'd say to him after the breakup, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It had been so long since she had anyone in her life that she trusted and could talk to openly. Raven's existence had been a lonely one since arriving on Earth and that had continued after the team split up. She tried to convince herself that she would be okay because it was what she was used to. But there had been one thing that she hadn't counted on. Raven knew what it was like to be among people who just accepted her as she was and whom she genuinely loved. Going back to being alone after that had been hard. It wasn't impossible as she had proven; she'd carved out a nice life for herself. However, it was not as easy as Raven had thought it would've been. Most days it was a tremendous struggle, but luckily, all her work kept her mind occupied.

Now though, with nothing to distract her and her best friend facing her, everything was out in the open. There was nothing to distract her now and a single tear slipped down her face. It disappeared so quickly, that Raven wasn't sure if it was real or if she imagined it. It must've been real though based on the fact that Dick was now gently cupping her cheek. "I'm sorry Raven. You- you could've- you could've come to me, please…you have to know that." He spoke softly.

"I did."

He laughed again lightly. She joined him. "Yeah I guess so."

Silence set in again, but as as awkward as before. This time he spoke first. "Wanna go get something to eat y'know since we're not…?"

Raven let a teasing smile come onto her face. "Didn't Bruce Wayne ever teach you how to talk to girls?"

Dick laughed and pulled out his phone. "Alfred? Bring the car around. Thanks."

"Milady." He asked while holding his arm out for her. "Shall we?"

"We shall."


	4. Chapter 4

Raven laughed so hard throughout dinner that her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, even though it was greasy diner food. Dick nevertheless treated her like a princess, offering his arm as they walked in. She drank greedily of the giant vanilla shake that they split and eagerly dug into the pile of fries on the table. After living off of cheap ramen and canned veggies, it tasted heavenly and she told him as such. He laughed and flagged down a waiter for more fries in response. As with most best friends when they're separated things may start of at surface level but it was like their interaction was merely put on pause and years animosity and a horrible team breakup hadn't come between them. It was just like old times. She giggled endlessly and Dick laughed that loud hooting laugh that made her grin like a fool. Even the limo ride back seemed to zoom by.

Raven's excitement didn't end even as they returned. She sipped more champagne as she took a good look around the apartment- er, penthouse. It really was a nice place, very modern with lots of large windows that permitted a 360 degree view of the city's glistening lights. The light rustle of papers didn't phase her. In fact, she was so busy taking in the sight of the city that she failed to noice Dick making his way over to her. It really was something, this was supposedly one of the worst cities and yet it had its beauty, especially at night. There was a certain beauty in darkness. She nearly dropped her glass as a memory came flooding back to her.

"_Did you fall asleep again?" Raven asked with a slight hint of amusement in her voice._

_Robin let out a loud yawn. "Yup. Sorry Raven. I've been so tired lately and I'm finally relaxed. I guess I'm a little too relaxed." He let out a little laugh. _

_Raven joined in as both attempted to stifle their laughter so that they didn't wake up the rest of the Titans. It was already around one in the morning and they were coming off of a fight with Plasmus. Raven had offered to teach Robin meditation in order to help him wind down from late night battles so the two were sitting on her bed overlooking the glistening water of the bay as they softly chanted in the candlelight. Robin took in a deep breath of the lavender and cedar wood scent that seemed to permanently linger in Raven's room. "Your room is really easy to relax in Raven."_

_She raised a brow at him. "Really? That's odd because when Cyborg and Beast Boy took that unscheduled trip into my head, you wouldn't dare set a foot in here. Actually, you looked downright terrified."_

"_I didn't want to invade your privacy Raven. I mean, yeah, I'd come in if you were in trouble, but I'll admit its nice being here with you now. Your room is really calming."_

"_Calming? Really? Most people think its creepy."_

_Robin shook his head. "Its very conducive to sleep and relaxation in here. Yes, its dark and I could see how people would perceive it as creepy, but there's a certain…beauty in the darkness." He yawned again. "And it definitely relaxes me." He said._

_Raven couldn't help the yawn that escaped her. "Me too." They laughed again as Robin stood up off of her bed. Raven gently levitated herself back to the ground. "Y'know Robin, maybe if your room didn't look so much like a detective's office, it'd be more comfortable and you'd be able to sleep easier." She followed him to the door. "Even your mentor separated his bedroom from his office and despite the fact that he had an image to maintain it probably worked out for the better." Ever since Raven had been in his mind, Raven knew all about his past with Batman, but they had a silent pact that she would merely call him Robin's "mentor" so as not to reveal anything. _

"_Yeah that's true." Robin acknowledged. "Same time tomorrow? Well, maybe same time we agreed on before Plasmus attacked?"_

"_Sure." Raven agreed. "Goodnight Robin."_

"_Goodnight Raven." _

Raven was snapped back to the present as Dick walked up to her. "Here's your check." He said handing it to her.

Raven took the thin piece of paper from him with her freshly manicured nails. Her heart skipped a beat. "Dick this is for $100,000." Part of her wanted to say that he actually didn't owe her anything as the bargain had not been completed; she had been anxious about it since they agreed to meet, but now she was just glad that it turned out to be Dick. Strangely though, a small emptiness filled her heart at that thought.

"I know. Keep it."

"We only agreed on $50,000."

"I know."

"Dick I can't accept this. Its not right." Raven let out quietly.

"Raven, its fine. Take it. My only stipulation is that I see you again soon." He smiled as her face lit up. "When are your boards?"

"In a couple months." Her smile brightened.

"How about tomorrow then? Are you busy?"

"I have to study." Raven said trying not to let sadness in her voice, but she wasn't sure how well she did with that.

Dick sent her a knowing look. "So? You gotta take a break sometime. Pick you up at say...three?"

She grinned at that. "Sounds good." Raven made to reach for the door knob, but before she could leave Dick stepped towards her. He wrapped his arms around her and she immediately responded hugging him tight.

It seemed as though the hug lasted forever. "I've really missed you Raven." He whispered, hugging her tighter.

"I've missed you too…Dick." Why did she almost call him Robin?

Right as they separated, Dick quickly placed a kiss on her cheek. She didn't have long to ponder it though as the elevator dinged. "Goodnight Raven."

She carefully stepped back into the elevator, unsure of what had just happened or if it was even real. "Goodnight." She let out. Raven felt lighter than air and better than she'd had in years. She grabbed her chest and it felt as though her heart was about to explode. The air felt lighter and most of the strain of life felt relieved if only for a few moments. The tests she agonized over, the paranoia with which she checked her bank account, the worry about staying unrecognizable, all of it lessened; the elevator dropped her off to a posh lobby. She hadn't even took notice of how luxurious it was last time as she was too nervous.

"Miss Roth?" Alfred was standing outside the same Mercedes holding the door open for her.

"Thank you." Raven said hastily, hoping he didn't see the blush beginning to bloom on her cheeks. She spotted his shadow in the top floor as the car pulled away. "Goodnight Robin." She whispered to herself.


End file.
